E-Commerce Times Talkback

Re: Startup.com Reveals the Real Y2K Problem
Posted by: ECT News 2001-05-25 18:26:38

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The opening night showing of "Startup.com" in Los Angeles was full of dot-com workers who were probably
looking for a chance to laugh in the mirror. Instead, they
got socked with raw footage of incompetent
people mistreating one another while wasting a lot of
investor money.

"Startup.com" tells the story of
how one particular dot-com was run into the ground,
but ultimately it reveals the real year 2000 problem.

Re: Startup.com Reveals the Real Y2K Problem
Posted by: Stephanie L 2001-05-30 19:03:59 In reply to: ECT News

I also saw Startup.com. As someone who has been through the dot-com mill -- I interned and freelanced at several dot-com startups, and even worked at a company on IPO day, before coming to work here at NewsFactor -- the movie was less a revelation than a mirror that showed the truth about people who were trying desperately to create an illusion.

As the audience, we are armed with hindsight: We can see the slip-ups coming before the company's founders do. A friend told me that he felt an urge to stand up and scream, "No! Don't do it!" as the founders floundered. I have to agree.

The most surprising thing of all is that the film's subjects allowed their strivings and failings to be recorded. Almost no one comes out of Startup.com clean -- there are no heroes, only flawed human beings. For my money, that's the most fascinating thing about this film.

Re: Startup.com Reveals the Real Y2K Problem
Posted by: realist 2001-05-29 18:10:09 In reply to: ECT News

I don't think this movie showed anything in particular about the dot-com business. There are a lot of companies that are run by emotional misfits!

Re: Startup.com Reveals the Real Y2K Problem
Posted by: dot-com maven 2001-05-29 18:42:21 In reply to: realist

The time the dot-commers in Startup.com went on a hike and listened to the wind was not the most telling moment of the film. The most telling moment is when one of the co-founders cashed out for $700,000 for 4 months of part-time work for a company that ultimately lost $60 million. Gotta love those VCs!